Ambrai III
The last-born child of then Crown Prince Rohan and Crown Princess Sarra, and the only male heir, Pol was born at Athlante Castle in 423. Unlike his father and grandfather, he was descended through his mother from the ancient royal Nohansen line of Hyrule. His parents' union continued the ancient Hylian line while adding a stronger claim to his family's right to rule Ossetia. As the first prince born to rule the country, many traditions that continue to this day began, such as the young prince joining the military when he came of age. Of his family, he reportedly adored his grandparents and was closest to his father and sister, Sera. Under the tutelage of Lead General Gery Denai, the young Pol received an excellent military education, and he excelled in many areas, being notably strong in martial prowess and possessing a sharp tactical mind. He got to experience firsthand the brutal combat of the era, having participated in several battles in command positions, supposedly first as the commander of a unit of the Jihan'Rei, and subsequently as a commander of infantry. It was a period of uncertainty for Ossetia, with the constant threat of invasion from nearby Canzalis a serious test of the country's military and it's ability to defend itself. Canzalis was growing in power and wished to vanquish it's long-time enemy, the Empire of Vermunn. To do this, it needed a closer stopping point, where they could bring wounded troops and damaged ships for repair, without taking the long journey back to Canzalis. Ossetia, located at the halfway point between the two countries, with it's defensible port, was perfect. Having no interest in dragging Ossetia into a war between the two great powers, Ambrai I refused any and all offers on Canzalis' behalf, which began to anger them. They made several attacks on Ossetia, attempting to take the port (as many as three in one month alone, or so the record goes), landing armies on difficult terrain to try and take the Ossetian army by surprise. It was in this turbulent, difficult time that Pol grew up, and he won many commendations praising his actions, among them his personal bravery on the field, and his quick thinking in reacting to the enemy, saving many Ossetian lives in the process. The loss of his grandfather during one of these attacks when he was young incited an anger in him of Canzalis, and his anger fueled his victories. As time wore on, Canzalis decided to build a large fleet and have it sail straight on to Vermunn, bypassing Ossetia entirely. The fleet was sorely tested by storm weather and by the time it arrived, they had lost over half the ships they had sailed with. After being decisively defeated by Vermunn, they gave up on the war entirely and peace reigned for close to a decade. Pol married Princess Riena Linsel Escovir, a noblewoman descended from one of the early princes of Ossetia, at the age of twenty-seven. Many people have postulated that it must have been an arranged marriage, but this goes against the characters of his parents, whose union was of monumental importance to both Ossetia and Hyrule, but which was not arranged. Riena gave birth to twin boys two years later, Princes Rillon and Fallun. At the time, the Crown Prince and his family lived at Athlante Castle, but when his father was Crown Prince he lived in residence at Fort Wentyn, the ancient Hylian property owned by the family prior to their ascension to the throne. The old structure was too small for the growing needs of the family, so Ambrai II decided to build a castle in it's place. The ancient structure was demolished (though one of the stones of the castle wall was retained, and is kept still today at Athlante) and Rohan gave control of the project of building a new castle to the Crown Prince. Pol consulted with many famous architects of the day and oversaw the contruction of Wentyn Castle. This instilled in the young man a love of architecture and construction and is responsible for his building of Reiza Palace later on in life. The castle was completed some seven years later, and though surrounded by high walls, was more of a palace. In it's final year of construction, Rohan died and Pol succeeded him. He alternated living between Athlante and Wentyn, the founding of a tradition that survives to this day. While rumours of a new war between Canzalis and Vermunn began to reach his ears, his attention was diverted by the civil war brewing in Hyrule. Prince Andrev III had died in a boating accident and left no heirs, and Hylian nobles squabbled over their rights to the throne. Some appealed to Pol to help, and he acted swiftly. Claiming his right to the throne through his mother, Princess Sarra, formerly Princess Sarra of Hyrule, daughter of the last King of Hyrule, he took control of Hyrule and proclaimed himself High Prince Pol Ambrai I of Ossetia and Hyrule. While some welcomed the stability brought on by a strong monarch such as Pol, the majority of the population did not, not caring about his strong claim through his ancestry. Pointing to the legal precedent set by the Princess when she gave up all claims to the lands of Hyrule, many nobles began to show signs of open rebellion, leaving the capital city of Satura for their own lands, to drum up military support. There were several skirmishes between the armed forces of these nobles and the Hylian army now under the control of the High Prince, but true rebellion and thus war between the two countries was halted by the declaration of war Canzalis made on both countries. Canzalis decided to launch a full-scale invasion of the island, in preparation for an eventual invasion of Vermunn. Appealing to the nobles of Hyrule to unite with him, Pol prepared the armies of both countries to defend the island. Canzalis attacked with several fleet actions, their numbered superiority over the Ossetian fleet essentially grounding it, keeping it out of the war. Port Gwenyr was attacked several times, with Pol overlooking the successful defense of the island. The attacks continued for three years and, by the end, the Canzalis army had been defeated again and again, crippling their morale and reducing it's numbers so badly that draft measures were taken again and again. While maintaining an uneasy peace back home, Pol decided to use captured ships and Ossetia's own, untouched fleet, for a return invasion of Canzalis. Combining the armies of both countries, Pol took direct control and sailed with the fleet for Canzalis. After suffering some initial setbacks in the opening months of the invasion, including being unable to move for weeks at a time out of the captured city of Chieva after being pinned down by the enemy army, Pol's brilliant tactics forced the enemy back, city by city, region by region, until by the third year's end he had conquered almost two thirds of the entire country. With the enemy secure in the mountainous regions in the north-east, and Ossetian control over the rest assured, Pol returned to Ossetia in triumph. Celebrations were held in every city, town and village, and the people praised their reigning prince. The royal family toured the country and they were received by their people with adoration and mass hysteria. In Hyrule however, things were taking a darker turn, with the nobility once again planning to rebel against Ossetian rule of their country. Having come from one exhausting, gruelling war and having no desire to have to face another, Pol decided to renounce his title of High Prince and claim to Hyrule, and instead sought to place a Hylian noble upon the throne. He had made several friends in the Hylian nobilityas they accompanied him in the war, and one in particular was a firm friend, Lord Camanto Antrai, who was very popular back in his home country. Distantly descended from the old kings of Hyrule, and thus very distantly related to the Ossetian royal family, the young Camanto was the perfect choice. He was crowned Prince Camanto I of Hyrule, and peace returned to both countries as the two-princedom system of government was in place once more. Pol now turned his attention to Canzalis, instigating several reforms to try and establish a stable government that would remain subservient to Ossetia. Back home, he used the profits in the royal treasury gained from the war to start building projects in Feruche, eventually culminating in the building of a new palace, Reiza, intended to be the the royal family's summer residence, with Athlante the winter residence and Wentyn the residence of the Crown Prince upon his coming of age. As the years passed, Canzalis remained unstable, with the puppet government ineffective in ruling the country, especially with the attacks on the borders from the former rulers and their sympathisers. Realising that Canzalis needed a strong ruler of it's own, free of Ossetia, he founded a new monarchy and installed his younger son Fallun as the new King of Canzalis, giving him complete rule of the country, removing Ossetia's involvement completely. Pol reigned Ossetia for thirty-six years, then the longest rule the country had seen. Under his rule Feruche became a major city to rival Satura, and he oversaw a period of architectural excellence. In founding the new Kingdom of Canzalis, he shaped the history of the region for centuries to come. He is seen as perhaps the greatest of his line, and his reign is known as "Eldskon'ita'daldiarm'ath" (loosely translated as the time of prosperity and renewal). Category:Princes